23/04/2010

Hungarian director Károly Ujj Mészáros’s black comedy Liza, The Fox-Fairy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Karoly Ujj Mészáros
film profile] is among the 15 projects selected for the 6th edition of the Cannes Festival Cinéfondation Workshop, to be held from May 14-21 on the Croisette (see news).

Liza, The Fox Fairy is adapted by the director (winner of multiple awards for his ten short films made over the last six years) and Bálint Hegedûs from Zsolt Pozsgai’s stage play Liselotte És A Május. It centres on Liza, a shy nurse who has been taking care of Marta, the widow of the Japanese ambassador to Hungary, for 12 years.

But the widow is murdered by the ghost of Toni Tani, Liza’s imaginary friend, a Japanese pop singer from the 1970s. Accused of the murder because she has inherited Marta’s apartment, Liza is forced to live with a policeman who is leading the investigation in a very rational way. But the "fox-fairy", that demon of Japanese tales, hasn’t finished with them yet.

Produced by Hungary’s Filmteam and Germany’s Flying Moon, Liza, The Fox Fairy has an estimated budget of €1.5m (including €720,000 already secured). Shooting will last between 35-45 days in early 2011.

Professionals interested in a meeting at Cannes with the director and his producers can now register on the Cinéfondation website.

(Translated from French)